The Bridgerton actress once planned forehead reduction surgery, believing it was her “ugliest” feature

Nicola Coughlan, best known for her role in Bridgerton, has revealed she once fixated on a physical insecurity so intensely that she vowed to undergo cosmetic surgery.

In a candid conversation with Grazia Magazine, the 38-year-old actress admitted that as a teenager, she believed her forehead was “ugly” and planned to get forehead reduction surgery to “fix” it.

“As a woman, there’s always something new that you should suddenly be self-conscious about,” she said. “I remember, as a teenager, being obsessed with my forehead. I thought it was so ugly and vowed to get forehead reduction surgery when I was older.”

Coughlan, who has since become a red carpet favourite, used the interview to issue a reality check about celebrity beauty standards. She urged fans not to compare themselves to stars at glitzy events, calling the flawless looks seen on TV and social media a “fantasy.”

“One of the biggest things I’ve learned from working with so many beauty pros on Bridgerton is the importance of keeping perspective,” she explained. “Everyone looks flawless, but of course we do! We get our makeup checked every three minutes, our hair is reset constantly. What you see [on the red carpet] is the work of a team of professionals. It’s a fantasy.”

The interview surfaced just days after Coughlan went Instagram official with her boyfriend, Jake Dunn. She celebrated his 25th birthday with a sweet tribute on her Instagram Stories, marking their first public post together.

While Coughlan has since embraced her natural beauty, her past struggle highlights the pressure women face in an image-obsessed industry—a reality she hopes more people will understand.